Artists Who Tried To Be Bowie

[Moonraker5]

Bowie was a huge influence - especially to the Brits. I am not talking musically. I am talking style, manner, persona... Name a few, if you please.

Remember, not musically influenced by Bowie. But physically, stylistically. These are artists who literally tried to be Bowie.

Peter Murphy - Bauhaus
Dave Sylvian - Japan
Richard Butler - The Psychedelic Furs
Brian Ferry - Roxy Music

Peter Gabriel - Genesis / solo
Ian McCulloch - Echo And The Bunnymen
Billy Mackenzie - The Associates
Nick Rhodes - Duran Duran (hell, everybody in that band tried like hell to be Bowie)

Others?

 

[Si G X]

Pretty much everyone in the 'new romantic' scene wanted to be Bowie or idolized him.

Not really my thing, so I'm not sure... Steve Strange is maybe the obvious one out of the people you haven't mentioned.

 

[Esquire Jones]

I met David Bowie once about 20-ish years ago when he was with Tin Machine. I was struck by what a normal, friendly guy he was. Very personable and unassuming.

I was definitely a bit star struck. He was wearing jeans and a leather jacket. No glitz and glamor. Stockier in build than I would have imagined.

A very nice man.

 

[Si G X]

You might enjoy this little BBC documentary. I watched it ages ago on TV but I'm sure Bowie is mentioned on several occasions.

 

[StoneH]

Billy Idol

 

[68tele]

Klaus Nomi
Gary Numan

 

[loopfinding]

Klaus Nomi
Gary Numan

Aside from the suit, I think it was the other way around, Bowie wanted to be Klaus Nomi for a time, haha.

But yeah Gary Numan, Bowie even made a dig at him in “Teenage Wildlife.”

 

[radiocaster]

 

[Lawdawg]

It's a bit of an odd question since Bowie famously adopted countless stylistic and musical personae over his career.

Of modern artists, I think Annie Clark/St. Vincent comes closest to Bowie's aesthetic.

A bit more obscure, but Kevin Barnes from of Montreal, was clearly influenced by Bowie's early glam and gender-fluid period.

 

[oregomike]

Bowie was a huge influence - especially to the Brits. I am not talking musically. I am talking style, manner, persona... Name a few, if you please.

Remember, not musically influenced by Bowie. But physically, stylistically. These are artists who literally tried to be Bowie.

Peter Murphy - Bauhaus
Dave Sylvian - Japan
Richard Butler - The Psychedelic Furs
Brian Ferry - Roxy Music

Peter Gabriel - Genesis / solo
Ian McCulloch - Echo And The Bunnymen
Billy Mackenzie - The Associates
Nick Rhodes - Duran Duran (hell, everybody in that band tried like hell to be Bowie)

Others?

I'm having a hard time remembering anytime Peter Gabriel resembled Bowie, and I was a pretty rabid fan of his solo work.
Maybe the fashion in the So years? That'd be a stretch though.

 

[Engine Swap]

I'm having a hard time remembering anytime Peter Gabriel resembled Bowie, and I was a pretty rabid fan of his solo work.
Maybe the fashion in the So years? That'd be a stretch though.

 

[sswoverl]

Scott Weiland, Stone Temple Pilots

 

[oregomike]

Still not seeing it. What ever "fashion influences" he had, he definitely molded them into his own look.

 

[oregomike]

Yeah, still not seeing it.

 

[Moonraker5]

I'm having a hard time remembering anytime Peter Gabriel resembled Bowie, and I was a pretty rabid fan of his solo work.
Maybe the fashion in the So years?

OK...face paint to wild costumes to tailored suits to artsy videos. Gabriel followed Bowie's career trajectory to the letter.

Once again, this thread is not about musical influence. It's about presentation, and Gabriel sure looked to the "How To Be David Bowie" handbook for guidance. Probably kept a copy on his nightstand. Read through it every night.

 

[Blazer]

Roland Gift of the FYC was referred to my music teacher as "The Black Bowie"


Yeah, there's no doubt that there's some influence of Bowie in his way of singing, he pretty much does his own thing.

 

[Dan R]

Ian Hunter. Mott the Hoople even covered All The Young Dudes.

 

[New2blues]

Robert Palmer

 

[That Cal Webway]

Early Annie Lennox.
Laurie Anderson.

 

[TheFuzzDog]

The answer is
Jobriath